The Escape of Ffamran
by Prince Lutin
Summary: My take on Balthier's early years and how he escapes life in Archades. Now back up and retitled. CANCELED
1. Prologue

_**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Final Fantasy XII or Balthier, Fran, and Dr. Cid. They are property of Square Enix. I do, however, own many of the characters, such as much of Balthier's family, friends, and enemies. I also own many of the locations. In one of the official guides, Balthier is said to be the third son of Dr. Cid._

_Years are in Old Valendian time, the calendar that FFXII uses._

_This story takes place about six years before the events of Final Fantasy XII. This is my interpretation of how Balthier (here known as Ffamran) escaped from a terrible life in the Archadian Empire. There is plenty of fanon in this story. Rated T for cursing and sexual references._

_I had published this a year ago, but then I had deleted it. Due to my renewed interest in Final Fantasy XII, I republished it. Chapter 1 is largely intact, but other chapters are subject to change._

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><p><strong>THE ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS<strong>

**THE STORY OF A SKY PIRATE**

**CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE**

There was a great city located in the north of Ivalice. It was called Archades. It was a great city, with many tall buildings and grand shops. It was a center of commerce and was home to well over a million people.

The city of Archades was shaped in a great octagon, centered around the royal palace. Beyond the palace were the Senate Chambers and other administrative buildings, and then the merchants' districts. Archades was a great city of innovation and learning. Technology was often built in Archades, especially in the Draklor Laboratory in the district of Tsenoble. The buidings in Archades were often very tall, reaching towards the sky. There were divisions in the buildings. Most people lived on the lower floors of the buildings, while the higher floors served other purposes. Some were businesses; some were residences of the wealthy; and some were for gazing upon the city. One could see for miles from the tops of the tallest buildings.

Most of the population of Archades was hume (humans). There were also moogles in the city. There were even a few bangaa and seeq, but they were not well-liked by many of the Archadians.

Archades, unfortunately, was heavily divided into social classes. People were not locked in their social classes, meaning that one could become rich and join the gentry. Even so, the class system was a part of the Archadian culture.

There was the Emperor at the top of there who ruled the land. He was a member of the House Solidor, who had ruled the land for 200 years, subjugating many other kingdoms on the horizon of the great city.

There were also the gentry, right below the Emperor. These were usually nobles and other wealthy families. Some of them were kindly, but others were arrogant and selfish people who looked down on the lower classes with hosility. Many of them became Judges, the guardians of law in the Empire. And many of them could be as ruthless as the Emperor. The gentry often lived in fancy homes high above the ground.

There were also the ardents: middle-class people. They, were not as high-ranking as the gentry, but could maintain a good status in the city, and associated with them as well. Ardents could even become gentry by making enough money and collecting wooden chops.

Last, and least liked, were the poor. By the time of this story, they did not even live in Archades proper. They were swept away to Old Archades, the city's slum and original center to the east. They were disliked by other classes, especially many of the high-ranking gentry.

This story focuses on one family of the Archadian gentry. That family is called the House of Bunansa. They were not a very old-money gentry family (meaning that they were not nobles), nor were they a huge family, but they had served the Archadian Emperor for over 150 years. Quite a few of them became Judges and scientists in the Emperor's service.

The whole story starts with Dr. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, better known as Dr. Cid. He was the head of the Draklor Laboratory. Dr. Cid was born towards the end of the year 647. He was the second son of Rudolfus Bunansa the Elder and his wife Luril. Cid's older brother, Rudolfus the Younger, died suddenly during an expedition in the year 669. Cid worked at the Draklor Laboratory from the time that he was sixteen, proving himself to be a prodigy. When the old head died in 683, Cid was appointed to be the new head of the laboratory.

In the year 673 Dr. Cid wedded Elise of the House of Milazhe, another gentry family. The House of Milazhe was not a noble house either, but it was a wealthy business family. The two got along well at first and they started a family.

Five children were born to Dr. Cid and Elise. The first two children were two sons, Cidulus (born 674) and Argath (born 676). They were promising young men, who planned on following in their father's footsteps. In their adolescent years, Cidulus and Argath served in the Archadian Imperial Army. They fought in the wars on the continent of Valendia, including ones that gained nearby kingdoms. Cidulus and Argath were dashing young men who loved to charm the women of Archades.

The next two children were daughters: Otilia (born 678) amd Irmelin (born 680). They were beautiful and noble young women. The two also proved themselves to be knowledgeable, and did very well in the girls' academy in Archades. Otilia and Irmelin were both promished in marriage to charming young men. Otilia wedded Numer of the House of Tiffos in 698, and Irmelin wedded one Lord Gharith a year later. Lord Gharith was a high-ranking nobleman and the son of a senator.

Cid and Elise's youngest child was another son, born in 684. His full name was Ffamran mied Bunansa, and he is also the focus of this tale. Ffamran was probably the most intelligent out of the siblings, though he was still susceptible to their influence. He showed capable intellect at an early age and was sent to the Grand School of Archades, a highly expensive school for the sons of gentry. There he did exceptionally well. Ffamran seemed to be having a good life, but that would soon change for the worse...


	2. The First Day

**CHAPTER 2: THE FIRST DAY**

The story starts in the late summer of the year 700, when Ffamran was sixteen years old.

We start at the manor of Dr. Cid. It is located in a building in the District of Alfahar, which is itself located in the south of Archades, near the northern reaches of the Tchita Uplands. Alfahar was a mostly residential district of Archades. Its buildings were tall, but not as tall as those in some of the other districts.

The residence of Dr. Cid and his family was situated on the top three floors of a 33-story tower. The home looked like a penthouse. The floors were divided as such: The first floor consisted of the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen. The second floor had the bedrooms and guest rooms. The third floor had store rooms and a lookout room.

Dr. Cid was doing his usual business in the laboratory. He was planning an expedition in the Jagd Difohr far to the south. He would leave in about thirteen days.

At the moment, Ffamran was in his room. It was a nice, fancy room suited for someone of his status. It was painted red. The bed was a canopy bed with green sheets and curtains. There was also a mahogany desk with a chair, as well as a green armchair. Also in the room was a window with orange curtains. Ffamran liked to look out his window at the city of Archades, seeing the airships fly around.

We see Ffamran sleeping in his room. He is wearing light green pajamas and a matching nightcap. He is in quite a deep sleep. However, he was interrupted by a knock. It was Elise.

"Ffamran," she said, "time to get up!"

Ffamran got up from his bed and yawned. He put his slippers on and looked out the window.

"It's quite nice out," he said. "Too bad I have to go to the academy..."

Ffamran opened the door to his room and went downstairs. He walked towards the kitchen. Elise was sitting at the kitchen table. She was dressed in an orange and yellow dress. Her light brown hair was loose. She was drinking a cup of tea.

"How are you today?" asked Ffamran.

"I am doing well," said Elise. "And you?"

"Fine," said Ffamran, "but I have to go to school, so naturally I will also be disappointed. Though it is my first day..."

"I know you hate the academy," said Elise, "but you have to go."

"I don't like the students," said Ffamran. "Most of them are a bunch of arrogant snobs. I only have a few friends there."

"Well," said Elise, "it is recommended by Emperor Gramis that all boys of the gentry attend the academy once they reach the age of fourteen. And you're sixteen already. I know it might be unfair to you, but that's life, dear..."

"I know, Mother," said Ffamran. "I'll just have breakfast."

Now Ffamran's morning routine began. Ffamran got out some bread and made toast with it. He spread some strawberry jam on it and ate it. Next was his bath. He washed himself carefully, and after that, he brushed his teeth. Ffamran went to his room and got dressed. He put on a light blue shirt, a red vest, and a pair of black pants. This was one of his school uniforms. Quite often, the rich boys had more than one school outfit. His shoes were dark drown. Over his shirt and vest, Ffamran wore a nice navy blue jacket. On his head, Ffamran put on a red hat with a yellow Archadian seal that his grandmother gave him for his birthday. It was shaped like a fez.

Ffamran walked downstairs and showed his outfit to his mother.

"Well," said Elise, "don't you look nice. And that's the hat that my mother gave you. It looks very handsome on you."

"I like it as well," said Ffamran. "Thank you for saying so."

Ffamran got his satchel ready. He put his notebooks, his lunch money, and other stuff in. He was all ready for school. When Ffamran was ready, he said goodbye to Elise and waited for the airship that dropped people off at stops. It was colored green and yellow and behaved much like a public bus.

Ffamran got on the airship when it came and paid the money to the driver. He sat down on a seat near the front, where he usually sat. The airship took off.

When Ffamran was sitting, he saw another young man around his age sit next to him. This guy had parted blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a green jacket similar to Ffamran's over his white shirt. He also wore black pants. On his feet were dark green shoes. He was holding a satchel. He looked friendly.

"Hey, Zeffir," said Ffamran, "Want to sit down right next to me?"

"Sure," said Zeffir. Zeffir was Ffamran's best friend and one of the few gentry students at the academy that he liked. This was for a good reason, for Zeffir was kind and rather quiet. Zeffir's father was a wealthy businessman in Alfahar. Ffamran and Zeffir had known each other since they were little.

"How has the summer been?" asked Ffamran.

"Very nice," said Zeffir. "I came back from a trip to Nalbina Fortress with my family. It was beautiful. The Dalmascan people were very kind to me."

"So I have heard," said Ffamran.

"I bought this pendant at the market there," said Zeffir. He showed Ffamran the silver pendant around his neck.

"School is going to be a bummer..." said Ffamran.

"Definitely," said Zeffir. "Back for another year with the snobs."

"Yeah," said Ffamran.

"It might not be too bad for you," said Zeffir, "but I have Mr. Vassor for my science class first period. He is said to be pretty bad."

"I don't have him today," said Ffamran. "But I'm sure he's not the worst."

"Let's see how it goes," said Zeffir.

Later, the airship arrived at the academy, located to the southeast of the city center. The academy was not a large building by Archadian standards - being only five floors high and close to the ground. However, it was a prestigious building, and many boys went there. It was a private school, and girls were not allowed to attend. The girls had their own school not too far away from the academy. It was not just the sons of the gentry that attended, but ardents were there as well. Even moogles could attend the school, but they were relatively few in number there since the fee for them was higher.

Ffamran and Zeffir walked into school. The two went their separate ways as Ffamran went to his locker. He was putting away the stuff that he did not need.

"I'll try to make this a good day," said Ffamran.

Ffamran closed the locker and walked to the class. He went inside the room. His teacher was Mr. Thalas, a short, middle-aged man who taught his students literature. About ten other students were there, mostly from the gentry. Some of them were kind, but others were not - just like Ffamran had expected.

"I see it's the ever-intelligent Ffamran med Bunansa," said Mr. Thalas. "Take a seat."

Ffamran took a seat near the front. He sat between two boys. One of them was gentry like him, and the other was an ardent. Ffamran turned to the ardent and said, "Hello. What is your name?"

"I'm Johan," said the ardent. "You must be Ffamran. I have heard that you're really smart."

"I'm not _that _smart," laughed Ffamran. "But thanks."

"I like your hat," said Johan, looking at Ffamran's hat.

"Thank you," said Ffamran. "My grandmother got it for me."

"How's your father doing?" asked Johan.

"Pretty good," said Ffamran. "He's going on an expedition in nearly two weeks from today."

"Yeah," said Johan. "My father told me that it was the Feywood. Sounds very scary - there's all sorts of crazy beasts there."

"I know," said Ffamran.

Ffamran turned around to the rich boy. This boy was wearing a uniform as well. He had very short blond hair and blue eyes.

"Hello," said Ffamran.

But when the boy turned to see Ffamran, he sneered at him. "What is it, Ffamran?"

"I'd like to get to know you," said Ffamran. "We'll be in this class together."

"I am Armal," said the boy. "And you better shut your trap. I came here to learn, you know."

"Pff," Ffamran retorted, "So did I, Armal!"

Mr. Thalas turned to Ffamran and Armal. "Now then," he said, "it's only the first day. We don't want to make enemies right at this moment."

"Okay," said Ffamran and Armal.

"It is time for our lesson," said Mr. Thalas. "But first, we should introduce ourselves to the class. After all, I think that knowledge begins with knowledge of each other."

Armal was picked first. He got up from his seat and told the class about himself.

"I am Armal den Phali," said Armal. "And I am the eldest son of a Judge. I live near the city center. After all, that is for only the important gentry, like me."

"Ugh," Ffamran said to himself.

Armal went on to tell about his father, as well as his summer in Bhujerba, until Mr. Thalas cut him off due to time constraints. Ffamran went up next. He told him about himself, his life, and his interest in literature. He took quicker than Armal did.

The rest of the class did intros until the class was over. When that happened, Ffamran got up from his seat and went to his next class. It was math, which Ffamran found boring, so it will not be told here.

The next class after math was history. But first, Ffamran returned to his locker, where he met up with Zeffir.

"How are your classes?" asked Zeffir.

"Okay," said Ffamran. "There is a real asshole in my first class named Armal. All he does is brag. But other than him, not so bad..."

"I know Armal," said Zeffir. "He's a real braggart. Try to stay away from him."

"I will try my best," said Ffamran. "How is everything going with you?"

"Not so good," said Zeffir. "Mr. Vassor did not really pay much attention to teaching. He had contempt for quite a few of us and complained a lot. I can see why, though. There were two or three moogles in the class, and Mr. Vassor does not like those who are not humes. I don't have a problem with other races, though. I even sat next to one of the moogles."

"Did you get to know him?" asked Ffamran.

"Yes," said Zeffir. "His name's Ciro, and he is pretty nice. Apparently, we share a lot of interests. We talked for a few minutes - until Mr. Vassor dropped a heavy book on Ciro's desk and told us to quit fooling around."

"At least we have this class together," said Ffamran, looking at his schedule. "History, to be exact."

"Okay," said Zeffir. "We should go now. We don't want to be late!"

The two made their way to their history class.


	3. The Ramando Tavern

_**NOTE: **I was going to make the school part longer, but I got writer's block, so it is kind of rushed. Try not to complain that this was rushed._

_Zundai is an original location that I made up. In my fanon, Zundai is a great continent in the south of Ivalice - south of Ordalia and southwest of Kerwon. It might appear in a future fanfic._

_There is a bit of alcohol usage in this chapter. But don't worry - Ffamran and Zeffir don't drink yet!_

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 3: THE RAMANDO TAVERN<strong>

Ffamran and Zeffir arrived at their history class. They took seats next to each other, as they normally did whenver they shared a class. There were about twelve other students in the class - including a moogle. Fortunately for everyone, Armal was not in this class.

"Who's the teacher?" asked one of the students sitting behind Zeffir.

"We have Mr. Yaghur," said Zeffir. "He's supposedly quite the teacher."

"I hope so," said Ffamran. "That math teacher had the most lackluster class of all..."

"Second to Vassor's, I bet," said Zeffir. He then looked at the doorway. "There he comes!"

"Mr. Vassor?" asked Ffamran.

"No," said Zeffir, "Mr. Yaghur."

Mr. Yaghub entered the classroom. He was a tall man who appeared to be about forty years old. His longish hair was dark and his eyes were green. He was well-dressed. He often jumped around in his speeches - meaning he rushed his speech.

"Welcome, class," said Mr. Yaghur. "I am your teacher, Mr. Yaghur. I will be teaching you the joys of history..." He seemed boring at first, but then he did introductions, which every student participated in. And no Armal meant no long, snooty introductions.

Eventually, the introductions were finished, and Mr. Yaghur walked up to the board. He wrote on it. What it read was this: _What is History?_

"Sounds all too obvious," said Ffamran, gazing at the words on the board.

"Ahh," said Mr. Yaghur, "it may seem like that the answer to the question is obvious, Ffamran. But it is not. In the course of this year, you will find out what history is. Anyway, we will be covering a lot of material in our class. The first lesson, which starts tomorrow, is about the Age of Gods tens of thousands of years ago. We will talk about the basics today..."

Ffamran and Zeffir sighed, but they knew that the more interesting material would come later. They just listened to Mr. Yaghur talk.

After this class, there wasn't much else of note. Ffamran and Zeffir had more classes, but none together save lunch. After the school day was over, Ffamran went back to his house, where they met up with Elise. Zeffir had gone home as well.

Elise was sitting in the living room. She was reading a book. When Ffamran walked up to Elise, she looked up at him.

"Hello, Ffamran," said Elise. "How was your first day of school?"

"It went pretty well," said Ffamran. "As usual, I met new people - both good and bad."

"I see," said Elise.

"Father's not home yet," said Ffamran.

"No," said Elise, "he isn't. He won't be home until tonight. Do you have any studying to do?"

"I don't," said Ffamran. "It's only the first day. They don't usually give work on the first day."

Elise laughed. "Why, of course," she said. "I got word from your sister Otilia that she is coming over in a few days with Numer and the baby.. Irmelin will be there with her husband as well." Otilia had recently given birth to a son, whom she named Gabald. "But today, you can do whatever you feel like," Elise added.

"Sounds very nice," said Ffamran. "I will be there." Ffamran paused for a moment, thinking where he wanted to go. Then, he had an idea. "Can Zeffir and I go to the tavern? Don't worry; I'm not going to get drunk. We are just going to hang out and order some food."

Elise looked at Ffamran carefully. "Okay," she said.

"Thank you, Mother," said Ffamran. "I will be back later."

Ffamran said good-bye to his mother and left. He waited for an airship outside. When one arrived, Ffamran got in and the airship made its way to the tavern. This was where Ffamran exited the airship and entered the tavern.

This tavern was called the Ramando Tavern. It was located in the south of Archades - not too far from the Bunansa residence. It was a decent-sized building with two floors. It served as both a restaurant and a place where people could hang out and talk. In addition, there was a bulletin board for hunters on one of the walls. Many of Archades' hunters consulted this bulletin board for rare beasts in the Tchita Uplands. Unfortunately, the alcohol sold was very popular, and there were people who came to the Ramando Tavern with the sole purpose of getting drunk.

The owner and manager of the Ramando Tavern was a moogle named Rabia. She had purchased the Ramando Tavern twelve years prior and had revamped it significantly, making it a nice place to be inside. Previously, the Ramando Tavern had been falling into disrepair due to the former owner's death. Rabia was pretty friendly and intelligent, and often talked with her customers casually. However, Rabia had another, more serious side as well. She held very mystical, philosophical beliefs, and was an accomplished mage.

Ffamran looked around. He saw quite a few people of all classes sitting, dining, and talking casually. Ffamran did not see Zeffir at first, but he did see Rabia. She was a typical moogle, with off-white fur. Her pom-pom was indigo in color. She was clad in a light blue dress with dark blue cuffs. On her head she wore a dark blue headband.

Ffamran walked up to Rabia, who had just given a drink to a bangaa. Ffanran looked at her. Rabia instantly smiled and greeted Ffamran.

"Welcome to the Ramando Tavern, kupo," said Rabia. "What can I get for you today?"

"Nothing right now," said Ffamran. "Have you seen my friend, Zeffir Yenmil? I don't see him."

"Right there," said Rabia. She pointed to a table near one of the windows. This was where Zeffir was sitting.

Rabia led Ffamran to the table where Zeffir was sitting. Ffamran greeted Zeffir.

"Hello," said Ffamran.

"What's up, Ffamran?" said Zeffir.

"Not much," said Ffamran. "I couldn't find you at first, but then Rabia led me to you."

"That's nice," said Zeffir.

"The waitress will be here soon, kupo," said Rabia. "And now, I have to wait on a few guests." Rabia walked away.

Ffamram and Zeffir read their menus. First, they decided on two orders of strawberry sorbet. When the waitress came around, Ffamran and Zeffir told her that they only wanted sorbet at the moment and would eat later. In about five minutes, Ffamran and Zeffir received their sorbet.

While enjoying the sorbet, Ffamran and Zeffir talked.

"Did you have a good first day?" asked Zeffir. "Mine was pretty good."

"It was okay," said Ffamran. "I just hope I can stay away from Armal as much as I can."

"I hope so," said Zeffir.

"Have you read any good books lately?" asked Ffamran.

"I have," said Zeffir. "I finished a few novellas over the summer. They were okay. But what I was really excited to read was the ancient history book I purchased a few weeks ago."

"What kind of history is it about?" asked Ffamran.

"It is mostly regional history," said Zeffir. "Not much to do with the Empire, though. But I did learn a lot about the various continents of the world. The most interesting was the stuff about the great lands of the south, such as Zundai."

"I have heard about Zundai," said Ffamran. "It is said to be an unusual place. The humes there look quite different from us. Other races that we have here in Archadia look different as well."

"My book contains a lot of other places," said Zeffir, "such as the great oil fields of the Jagd Yensa. Unfortunately, a very hostile race lives there, so the rigs aren't used nowadays. But hidden in this territory is the tomb of the Dynast-King himself."

All of a sudden, there was shouting a few tables away. Ffamran and Zeffir looked at the scene. They saw a drunk man harassing a bangaa. The man was ranting about "lizards" - in this case a racial slur against the bangaa. This caused the bangaa to get really angry and he wanted to attack the man. But Rabia intervened before the fight could get physical.

"Excuse me, kupo," she said, "We do not tolerate prejudice in this tavern. I ask you to leave." The man snapped out of his drunken rage and left the tavern.

Rabia looked at Ffamran and Zeffir.

"Sorry about that, boys," she said. "That's the second fight I had to break up this week! Can you believe that, kupo?"

"Yes," said Ffamran. "Sadly, fights are pretty common here. People just have too much fun."

"Is it hard on you, Rabia?" asked Zeffir.

"It _is_ hard on me, kupo," said Rabia. "Breaking up fights is the biggest downside to owning a place that serves alcohol. Can I get you something to eat?"

Ffamran and Zeffir looked at each other. They had no idea what to order.

"Sure," said Zeffir. "We just don't know what."

"How about some spicy chicken with rice?" said Rabia. "My specialty, kupo!"

"Sounds good to me," said Ffamran.

"Okay, kupo," said Rabia. "I'll be back!"

Rabia went to the kitchen to prepare the meals. It took her a while, but she finished and served the two dishes to Ffamran and Zeffir. She also gave them cold water to drink. The two promptly began eating their spicy chicken with rice.

"I'll tell you why this is my specialty, kupo," said Rabia. "Adding a touch of cilantro makes it taste really good. Just not too much."

"That's true," said Zeffir, smiling. "Anyway, we had our first day of school today. It was pretty good for me."

"And just okay for me," said Ffamran.

Rabia laughed. "That's how _my_ schooling days were!" she said. "Just okay, kupo!" Ffamran and Zeffir smiled upon hearing this.

"Thanks for the meal," said Ffamran. He gave some money to Rabia. "Here's the money"

"You're welcome," said Rabia. "And now I have to attend to a few other customers. Have fun!" She waved to the pair and walked away.


	4. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa

_**NOTE: **This chapter is the beginning of Dr. Cid's journey to insanity. Here he is mentally stable - quite unlike his portrayal in the actual game._

_This chapter might lead into another fanfic detailing Dr. Cid's adventure that leads him to Giruvegan._

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 4: CIDOLFUS DEMEN BUNANSA<strong>

While Ffamran and Zeffir were dining at Ramando's Tavern, Dr. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa was busy in his laboratory.

We focus on the Draklor Laboratory. It is a very tall building - perhaps one of the tallest in Archades. It is seventy floors high. The Draklor Laboratory was built in the year 658, during the reign of Emperor Gramis' father, Emperor Alvor. The Draklor Laboratory had originally belonged to a scientist of the Klinian family. After the original head's death, it was sold to a man named Zabir Liuke. Dr. Liuke greatly expanded the laboratory, turning it into a center of airships. He also got sponsorship from the Archadian Imperial Army.

But now, Dr. Cid was the head of the Draklor Laboratory - ever since Dr. Liuke had died. He expanded the technology even more, making the top five floors places of great secrecy. Few visitors were welcome in the top five floors. By the time of this story, there was a tight security system in the whole building that kept intruders out. Also, Dr. Cid devoted much time to magickal research - particularly with the studies of magicite. As of late, Dr. Cid was manufacturing magicite and making great strides in its production.

Dr. Cid's office was on the 70th floor of the laboratory. It was a mysterious room where few were allowed in. Even Elise had rarely set foot in here when visiting her husband at work. After all, Dr. Cid needed a lot of secrecy when doing his work.

Dr. Cid was not alone in his research. He was assisted by scores of people. Dr. Cid himself was obviously at the top, being President of the Draklor Laboratory. Right below him were two powerful individuals (though less powerful than Dr. Cid). One of them was a woman by the name of Agrippina Furia Corella. The other was a man called Otho Serval.

Agrippina was the more powerful of the two Vice-Presidents. Though she was of ardent background, Agrippina had risen through the ranks and had even married a Judge by the name of Balbus. Agrippina excelled in science and had gained the respect of Dr. Cid, making her a vice-president at only thirty-four. Agrippina was more powerful due to her dominant behavior. She was capable and brave, but was also very ruthless and controlling. She refused to let anyone command her save Dr. Cid.

Otho, on the other hand, was the less powerful of the two. He was capable of commanding others and was quite helpful in his research. He had also been a Vice-President longer than Agrippina had. However, Otho was weak-willed, often uncertain, and more easygoing. Though he was supposed to be Agrippina's equal, Otho often found himself listening to her orders.

At this particular moment, we find Dr. Cid, Agrippina, and Otho in one of the smaller rooms on the 68th floor. Dr. Cid is near the southern wall. He is clad in a red coat over his clothes. Otho is next to him. He is a man of average height, aged about sixty, with a balding head and glasses. Agrippina was a tall woman of forty years of age. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a magenta coat. She was working on a map.

Dr. Cid was talking with Otho about the latest project. This project was to penetrate deep into the Feywood in the Jagd Difohr in search of magicite. Of course, Agrippina and Otho would take part in this expedition. They were planning to stay in the Feywood for forty days and forty nights, and then return to Archades. In addition to Dr. Cid and his Vice-Presidents, a group of nine carefully selected leading scientists would go on the journey.

"Master," said Otho, "this Feywood place sounds very dangerous. Are you sure that you want to go very far into it? After all, most of it is well nigh impossible to explore due to the high levels of Mist."

"We will find a way to get around the Mist," said Dr. Cid. "The main way is to be equipped with special magicite. Ice magicite could help due to the snowy terrain."

"And what about the viera?" asked Otho. "We will have to go through Golmore Jungle, and the viera live there. They are said to be quite unfond of intruders - especially humes."

"We my be able to bypass the viera altogether," said Dr. Cid. "Legend has it that deep in the Paramina Rift, there is a route to the Feywood. But few have made it through."

"That is true," said Otho. "The Feywood is not a place to be taken lightly. All sorts of primordial creatures live there - some deadly."

"That will not be a problem," said Dr. Cid. "There are weapons located deep in the laboratory. We will have access to them, but they should only be accessible to us. None of the lower-ranking scientists can get a hold of them."

Agrippina looked up from the paper that she was working on. She had devised a route from Archades to the Feywood.

"I have found a fast route, Master," she said. "We can take an airship to the north shore of Kerwon. There is an old port run by the Kiltias there. People use it to access the Holy Mountain. But nowhere further than that, as the land to the south is jagd. We will use the port to obtain access to the Paramina Rift. From there, we can go through whatever path you see as easiest. From there, we can access the Feywood."

"That sounds risky," said Otho.

"Be quiet, Otho," said Agrippina. "Anyway, Master, the route we should take should lead us to a deposit of magicite. I hope you will accept it."

Dr. Cid took the map from Agrippina and looked at it for a few minutes. He wanted to make sure there were no errors.

"I am impressed by your map," said Dr. Cid. "It will be useful in the expedition."

"Well, you should be," said Agrippina. "I _am_ a skilled cartographer, after all. Do you think we will need copies?"

"Of course," said Dr. Cid. "We will need plenty of them. The Feywood is indeed a place that is easy to get lost in. Otho, take this down to the copying room on the 57th floor."

Otho was handed the paper.

"Okay, master," said Otho nervously.

Otho left the room and went down the elevator to the 57th floor. Normally, the command to bring something to the copying room would be given to those of lower rank. But this mission was secret, so Otho had to do it. He didn't need much prodding, though, for he took orders more easily from Dr. Cid than from Agrippina.

_Bastard_, Agrippina thought to herself when she saw Otho leave.

"Now that he's out of the way," she said to Dr. Cid, "there is something that we need to find out. What is the airship that we need to take?"

"We will be taking one of the larger airships that we have in the hangar," said Dr. Cid. "This one is powered by plenty of the finest skystone. It is large enough to fit all our belongings, but not so big as to take up a lot of space."

"Which one is that?" asked Agrippina.

"The airship _Calypso_," said Dr. Cid. "It is the best airship that we have. And one of the fastest!"

"Ahh," said Agrippina. "That is a pretty fine one."

"Just make sure that no one who is not going knows," said Dr. Cid.

Agrippina took back her paper. "To hear is to obey," she said.

Later, when it was nighttime, Dr. Cid closed the laboratory for the day and left work. He made his way back to the Bunansa residence. By then, Ffamran was home as well.

Dr. Cid opened the front door and walked in. He found Ffamran lying on the couch. Ffamran was almost asleep.

"Hello, Ffamran," said Dr. Cid.

"Oh," said Ffamran, rubbing his eyes to wake up a little, "it's you, Father. Hello!"

"I heard that it was your first day back," said Dr. Cid.

"My first day?" said Ffamran. "It went okay. Sometimes it could be pretty boring - as usual..."

"That's how school is," said Dr. Cid.

"How were things at the lab?" asked Ffamran.

"Fine," said Dr. Cid.

"How about that expedition?" asked Ffamran.

"I can't tell you all about it, Ffamran," said Dr. Cid. "I've told you twice already. I'll just say that preparations are going as planned."

"That's nice," said Ffamran. "I'm just curious to know."

"I understand," said Dr. Cid. "What did you do after school?"

"Since I didn't have any homework," said Ffamran, "I went to the Ramando Tavern with Zeffir. We had dinner there."

"Great," said Dr. Cid. "How is Zeffir doing?"

"He's doing good," said Ffamran. "Zeffir seems to really like school this year, and has made quite a few friends." Then, Ffamran yawned and stretched his fingers. "I am pretty tired from a long day of moving around. I'm going to bed." Ffamran got up from the couch.

"Okay," said Dr. Cid. "Good-night. Where's your mother?"

"Mother's upstairs," said Ffamran. "She is in her room."

Ffamran went to his room and got ready for bed. Dr. Cid walked upstairs in a little while to his and Elise's room He opened the door and saw Elise lying down on their bed.

"Hello, dear," said Dr. Cid. "I'm home. I was just talking to Ffamran. He just went to bed. As for everything at the laboratory, they went well."

"I see," said Elise. "I hope the expedition goes as planned."

"I hope so, too," said Dr. Cid.

"It's really late," said Elise. "And I know that you've been working hard. We need some time together - just you and me."

"That we do," said Dr. Cid.

* * *

><p>I'll just leave it at that. Next chapter will have more action...<p> 


	5. The Age of Gods

_**NOTE:** The ancient history of Ivalice is in part taken from the actual game. Some aspects, however, are my own ideas. "The Undying" refers to the Occuria. The Keeper of Precepts is, of course, Zodiark. The Espers are mentioned in this as well._

_The Sage Knowledge that Ffamran finds and reads is also taken from Final Fantasy XII._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 5: THE AGE OF GODS<strong>

The next day, Ffamran woke up to another day of school. He performed his usual routine and went to school.

While in school, Ffamran arrived in his history class early. He saw that there were various books and scrolls lined up in a bookcase with four shelves. The scrolls, located on the top shelf, were used to aid students by providing them with information. Some of them contained knowledge obtained by sages.

Ffamran took one of the scrolls off of its shelf. He unraveled it and read it. This scroll had knowledge that was known to virtually all sages:

_THE AGE OF GODS_

"_Many thousand years ago, all-powerful beings looked down upon the land, and their rule was absolute. They commanded all things on the earth. All was done according to their will. Then one day they withdrew behind the walls of a great city of their own making, disappearing from history's stage. In the vacuum left behind, Ivalice fell into chaos, until the march towards a new age finally began._"

"Doesn't give any information on what those beings were," Ffamran said to himself. "I know that it was the gods."

Below the words, the scroll also had a map of the ancient world printed on it. The landmasses looked quite different, for there had been changes in Ivalice's geography since the Age of Gods.

Then, Ffamran heard footsteps, so he quickly wrapped up the scroll and put it back where it had been.

Later, it would be time for class. Zeffir and the other students had arrived, and so had Mr. Yaghur. Ffamran decided to tell Mr. Yaghur that he had read one of the scrolls.

"Mr. Yaghur?" said Ffamran after Mr. Yaghur sat down.

"Yes?" said Mr. Yaghur.

"Before class, I read one of the scrolls," said Ffamran. "I felt that you had to know."

Thinking that Mr. Yaghur would be displeased, what the teacher responded surprised Ffamran.

"That is what the scrolls are there for," said Mr. Yaghur. "For students to use to obtain information. Just try not to read them every time you come in early, Ffamran. You don't want to spoil the information for everyone else!"

"Can I at least read ones that we went over?" asked Ffamran.

"Sure," said Mr. Yaghur. "I really need to organize the scrolls, though." He turned to the rest of the class. "Now that that's out of the way, we'll get to learning our lesson on the Age of Gods."

Ffamran took out a textbook and opened up to the first lesson.

"Now then," said Mr. Yaghur after a few minutes, "the Age of Gods starts many millions of years ago - before the dawn of Man. It is said that the gods had created Ivalice during this time. Beings known as the Undying were sent as their messengers on this planet. Many are the creatures that have come and gone in this world, but the different races of Ivalice had been created in the latter part of this time - about one million years ago."

"For ages," Mr. Yaghur continued, "these beings were primitive, but then they began to advance. Many races learned to wield magick, which was said to have been given to them by the Undying after it was discovered in the mountains in northwestern Zundai. The Undying also built many structures across the world, including a fabled tower on a distant shore. This tower is said to be the greatest and most majestic of all towers. However, not all would be well..."

"What would happen?" asked one of the students.

"About 50,000 years ago," said Mr. Yaghur, "the Undying seemed to have had enough. It is believed to have been brought about by the High Seraph, Ultima. Ultima had believed herself to be more powerful than her creators, so she and eleven other scions of the gods rebelled. These beings were defeated, and were sealed away in the darkest depths of Ivalice. After this, the Undying withdrew from their command and hid behind the legendary city of Giruvegan. The precise location of this city to this day is not known. But perhaps out of fear, maybe the Undying do not want to be found..."

"Yikes!" said Zeffir. He had found the lecture most interesting.

Mr. Yaghur then got up and looked around.

"Any questions?" asked Mr. Yaghur. He looked at one student who had raised his hand. "Yes?"

"If this was so long ago," said the student, "how do we know all this?"

"None of it has been confirmed to scientists," said Mr. Yaghur, "but it is commonly believed to be true. Though no mortals are alive to remember such a time, archaeologists have found ruins all over the world dating to this time." Mr. Yaghur held up a picture. This picture was of a winged woman and other strange-looking beings. "This is an archaeologist's sketch of one such depiction of the events. The ruin where the real image is located is to the north of Archades."

"I think I have seen a picture of that before," said Zeffir. "My older sister is training to work in the field of archaeology. She has all sorts of books on ancient Ivalice, and at least two contain that picture. The winged woman is probably Ultima..."

"It is indeed her," said Mr. Yaghur. "Legend has it that Ultima is sealed deep within Giruvegan."

"I guess we won't be searching for her anytime soon," said Zeffir. "One of my books mentions a thirteenth being similar to her."

"The thirteenth scion has been banished as well," said Mr. Yaghur. "Though the Keeper of Precepts had not rebelled, he was kept away and powerless due to his great strength. His location is unknown, and all expeditions to find him have failed."

"I hope my father won't have to worry about that," said Ffamran. "He is going to the Feywood on an expedition, and there are a lot of foul beasts there."

Some of the students looked at Ffamran. These students, until now, had not realized that Ffamran was the son of Dr. Cid.

"You didn't know Cidolfus Demen Bunansa was my father?" said Ffamran. "Strange..."

Zeffir looked at Ffamran nodded his head in agreement. Then, the two turned back to Mr. Yaghur. Eventually, class was over, and Ffamran talked to the teacher before he left.

"I found this lesson very interesting," said Ffamran.

"I'm glad you did," said Mr. Yaghur. "I try to make my lessons interesting so people other than my wife would like it. My wife is pleased by just about _anything_, by the way."

Ffamran laughed for a moment. Then he calmed down.

"Better get going," said Ffamran. "I don't want to be late for my next class!" Ffamran left the classroom.


	6. Pride and Prejudice

_**NOTE:** This chapter contains more cursing than the others. Just a bit of a heads-up! Plus, annoying as he is, I needed to bring Armal back into the story._

_The title of this chapter is not just a reference to the famous story, but also to Armal's two worst qualities._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 6: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE<strong>

Later that day, Ffamran and Zeffir went to lunch. They were able to eat lunch outside due to the nice weather.

The patio outside of the cafeteria was quite lovely. There were various plant varieties throughout the patio. There were also eight tables, each with between three and six seats. In addition, there were benches for extra people to sit on. In addition to eating, the patio was used for enjoying the scenery.

Zeffir saved a seat for Ffamran at one of the tables. This table was circular, with four seats. Ffamran and Zeffir only needed two of them. Zeffir took out a container from his satchel. This container contained a chicken salad. The cafeteria was serving pork ribs today, but since Zeffir abhorred the taste of pork, he made his own lunch.

Next, Ffamran emerged from the cafeteria. He was carrying a tray with pork ribs on it. When Ffamran sat down and looked at Zeffir, he noticed that Zeffir was wearing a green hat similar to Ffamran's red one. The other difference was that this hat didn't have the Archadian seal on it.

"I see you were inspired by my own hat," said Ffamran. "Where did you get that hat?"

"I went to the hat store with my mother last night," said Zeffir. "I found a hat similar to yours, but in a different color."

"That's nice," said Ffamran. "I like the color."

Ffamran took a bite out of one of his pork ribs. "These ribs are good," he said. "You're missing out."

"I don't like pork," said Zeffir. "It looks nasty, but that's just my opinion."

"And I respect that," said Ffamran. "Anyway, I thought that history lecture was quite informative. I had not realized how mysterious this world truly is. Plus, I was pretty surprised about your little tidbits of information. You must read into history an awful lot."

Zeffir blushed. "I'm not _that_ good at history," he said. "I do enjoy it, but there is still stuff that I do not understand."

"Same here," said Ffamran. "History goes _way_ beyond what we can see."

"I just hope Armal realizes that," said Zeffir. "Armal never cared much for history beyond that of the Empire. He's one of those people who thinks the world revolves around himself. Especially some of the gentry are like that."

Ffamran and Zeffir continued to eat. When they finished, they got rid of their garbage. But then, Ffamran saw Armal talking with three other gentry students.

Armal was standing tall and proud. He had on a fancy brown jacket and black pants. He was talking about an encounter with an ardent.

"So anyways," said Armal, "when that ardent woman walked by, she was all chipper. She told me that she wanted to be a Judge. I told her that she shouldn't get her hopes up about that. I then told her that, being a woman, she wouldn't make a good Judge. She was so mad that her eyes practically turned into fireballs. But we all know that bitch wouldn't fight _gentry_." Armal and the other three boys laughed haughtily.

Zeffir had heard this. "Well that's not fair," he said to Ffamran. "Who says a woman can't be a good Judge? Armal better not tell that to my aunt, Judge Celina. Or her friend, Judge Drace. Just don't talk to him, Ffamran. It would save us a lot of grief..."

But it was a moment too late. Armal had noticed Ffamran and Zeffir.

"Look who's staring at me," said Armal. "It's that loser Ffamran and his dorky friend."

"We weren't eavesdropping," said Ffamran. "You were talking so loud, we could hear you."

"And what was that shit that you were talking about?" asked Zeffir. "You know, about you and the ardent woman?"

"It was something that happened yesterday," said Armal. "Simple as that."

"I thought it was pretty tacky," said Ffamran.

"I also heard you talking down on female Judges," said Zeffir. "I'm related to one, so I found that kind of offensive."

Armal angrily approached Zeffir and hovered over him.

"You have a problem with what I said?" said Armal.

"No..." said Zeffir, intimidated. "I just don't like prejudice. I saw some at the tavern yesterday, and I don't want to see more now."

"Well," said Armal, backing away a few steps, "you speak foolishness. I find 'prejudice' to be a misleading term in this case. Just like how you mislead dear Ffamran and other sons of gentry into believing in a sense of social justice for other classes and citizens of Archadia who are not humes. And let me tell you: there is no harm in a little social etiquette. We have our place, and others have theirs."

"This guy's nuts," Ffamran said to himself.

"I find you both to be very tiresome," said Armal. "After all, I have others to attend to. And you might be late to your next class! Ta-ta!" Armal and his friends huffed and walked away.

Ffamran and Zeffir got up from their seats.

"What's his problem?" Ffamran asked Zeffir. "I know this guy for two days, and he acts like he knows everything about me."

"You're lucky," said Zeffir. "I have known Armal for a year now. We had classes together last year. I hope he won't give you a hard time all year."

"I hope so as well," said Ffamran.

The two made their way inside and went their separate ways to their classes.


	7. Company

**CHAPTER 7: COMPANY**

Afterwards, Ffamran arrived home from school. He diid not go hang out anywhere, for he was assigned work to do in his literature class and his math class. Zeffir also had homework in his classes, so he had gone straight home as well.

Ffamran was in his room, working on his assignments. The assignments were not too difficult, but Ffamran did not like doing them. He worked on them for the hour after he came home, and finished them. The math assignment took up more of the time.

When Ffamran had finished his assignments, he lay down on his bed and gazed at his room. He was pretty exhausted, for he had his first test - a math test - next week.

"At least that assignment was good practice for the test next week," he said to himself. "I need to get into the habit of constant quizzes and tests."

Ffamran was bored, and he didn't know what to do. So he decided to rest for a while. Thirty minutes later, Elise knocked on her son's door.

"Ffamran," said Elise, "are you still up?"

"Yes," said Ffamran, yawning. "Come in."

Elise opened the door and went inside. Her hair was styled in a bun and she was wearing a green dress.

"How are you doing, Mother?" asked Ffamran. He sat up on his bed.

"I am fine," said Elise. "I have something important to tell you."

"What did I do?" asked Ffamran, thinking it was something bad.

"You didn't do anything," said Elise. "I just needed to tell you that your brothers and your grandmother are coming over tonight. They would like to see your father at least one more time before he leaves on that expedition to the Feywood."

"Really?" said Ffamran. "What about Otilia and Irmelin?"

"They are not coming," said Elise. "They're busy. You will definitely see your sisters in a couple of days - and again before your father leaves."

"What do I have to do?" asked Ffamran.

"Just get ready before they come," said Elise. "Put on some clean clothes, please. Your father and I would appreciate that."

Ffamran stood up. "Okay," he said.

"That is all," said Elise.

"Is Father home from the Draklor Laboratory?" asked Ffamran.

"He should be home shortly," said Elise. "Right now, I am going to prepare those hors d'oeuvres. Everyone should be here in about an hour."

"Okay," said Ffamran. "I will start getting ready."

Elise left the room and went downstairs. After she had left, Ffamran closed the door behind him. He changed into a blue dress shirt with orange cuffs and a pair of dark blue pants. Next, he brushed his hair. After that, Ffamran went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Now he was all set for his family visit.

When Ffamran was ready, he walked downstairs. He saw that Dr. Cid had come home. Dr. Cid was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper. He then turned around and saw Ffamran.

"Hello, Father," said Ffamran.

"Hello, Ffamran," said Dr. Cid.

"Did you hear that Cidulus and Argath are coming over?" said Ffamran. "And Grandma's coming over as well."

"I did," said Dr. Cid. "They should be here any minute. Your mother's in the kitchen. She is almost finished with making the hors d'oeuvres."

"I'll go check on Mother," said Ffamran.

While Ffamran was about to go check on Elise, the doorbell rang. Ffamran turned around and hurried to the door. He opened it up and saw his brothers, Cidulus and Argath. An old woman was standing behind them.

Cidulus and Argath were tall men. Cidulus was twenty-six, while Argath was twenty-four. Their hair was similar to Ffamran's in color and texture - relatively short and spiked. Cidulus was wearing a green shirt and black pants. Argath was wearing a brown shirt with beige pants. Their clothes looked expensive. Currently, they were working in offices. Cidulus had recently become engaged, and was planning to marry soon. This surprised some of the family due to Cidulus' passion for philandering, which he shared with Argath.

The old woman was Elise's mother, Romola. Romola was a short woman, aged seventy-four years. She had grey hair in a ponytail, and wore a purple dress with touches of coral pink. Romola was the widow of an Archadian merchant named Elit. In addition to Elise, Romola had a second daughter, Luzia, who had a grown daughter of her own. This daughter, Tatiana, was Ffamran's only first cousin. Romola was a friendly, jovial old woman with a good sense of humor.

Ffamran greeted his brothers and grandmother.

"Come in," he said.

"We'd love to, Ffamran," said Romola.

Cidulus, Argath, and Romola followed Ffamran inside. When they went inside, Elise came in with a tray of various hors d'oeuvres. Everyone except Dr. Cid took some to eat.

"It's nice that you all could come," said Elise. "How is everyone doing?"

"Very good, Mother," said Cidulus. "All is well."

"Indeed," said Argath.

Elise looked at Cidulus and smiled.

"How is Adara doing?" asked Elise. Adara was Cidulus' fiancee. She was the daughter of a business family known as the House of Yaron. The two were due to get married in six months.

Cidulus blushed. "She is doing well," he said.

"I can't wait to see the wedding," said Romola, getting a little excited.

Ffamran turned to Romola.

"Grandma," said Ffamran, "would you like to sit down?"

"No thank you," said Romola. "At my age, a little excitement will do me good." She then laughed. "How's the academy, Ffamran?"

"Okay," said Ffamran. "I have an excellent history teacher named Mr. Yaghur. The rest of the teachers are okay, I guess. I didn't make a lot of new friends, though. Most of the time I prefer to hang out with Zeffir Yenmil. You've met Zeffir before...haven't you? He is very kind."

"I have a few times," said Romola. "He's your best friend, right?"

"That he is," said Ffamran.

Romola looked at Dr. Cid and noticed that he wasn't having any hors d'oeuvres.

"You all right, Cidolfus?" asked Romola. She did not usually call Dr. Cid by his preferred nickname. Though Romola respected Dr. Cid a lot more than the stereotypical mother-in-law does, she still had issues with him. For one thing, she was a little uneasy about his magicite research.

"I'm fine, Romola," said Dr. Cid. "And please, call me Cid."

"What about the hors d'oeuvres, Father?" asked Cidulus, looking at his father.

"I'll take some in a minute," said Dr. Cid. He did so after a few minutes.

After a while, everyone sat down - except for Elise, who was making dinner. The Bunansa family did not have a cook like many gentry families did, but they didn't need one since Elise was very passionate about her cooking. Right now, she was making shrimp with bread crumbs.

"So," said Ffamran, "meet any nice ladies lately, Argath?"

"Ffamran," said Dr. Cid.

"That's okay, Father," said Argath. "I do not mind talking about my girls. I did spend time with my co-worker's two female friends yesterdaya when they came to visit the office. They were very friendly. It's nice to see some enjoyment at work, since my boss is so monotonous."

"I remember doing the same," said Cidulus, "until I found Adara. Someday, you'll meet the right girl, Ffamran."

"I do hope so," said Ffamran. "I wish I could charm the ladies as well as you and Argath."

"Don't worry," said Argath. "Someday, you will. Just be careful around certain women. I've known a few who were harpies."

Ffamran giggled, and of course, so did Romola.

"I visited the Ramando Tavern earlier," said Cidulus, changing the subject to avoid laughter. "Haven't been there in almost a year. I love the touch-ups that Rabia has done. It's like she uses magick to keep the tavern nice."

"Rabia sure is a darling," said Romola.

"I saw her yesterday," said Ffamran. "I was at the tavern with Zeffir. She says that there have been some fights lately. In fact, I witnessed one briefly."

"That's because some people get too drunk," said Argath.

"I wonder if dinner's ready," said Cidulus. "I'm starving!"

"Almost," said Dr. Cid.

"I'm hungry as well," said Ffamran.

In about a minute, Elise called everyone. "Dinner's ready!" she said. Everyone went to the table and was handed plates.

Ffamran smelled the shrimp. "Smells good," he said. "I noticed something that smells especially nice."

"That's rosemary," said Elise. "The local herbalist recommended it when I went to see her a few days ago."

"Let's eat," said Romola.

"That's what we're here for," said Elise.

Everyone ate their dinner.


	8. More Company

**CHAPTER 8: COMPANY, PART 2**

After dinner, Ffamran and the rest of the family went back to the living room. Everyone returned to their conversation.

Ffamran was the one who would restart the conversation.

"Since we finished dinner," said Ffamran, "what does everyone want to talk about?"

"Not sure," said Argath.

"I am content with whatever," said Cidulus. "Although I would like to hear more about the academy. Has it changed since Argath and I attended it?"

"Okay," said Ffamran. "The academy hasn't really changed much. I was only a young child when you two attended, but I remember you saying that it was difficult. I find it to be somewhat difficult as well. Especially my math class, since I am not that good at math."

"Math is always very tough." said Argath. "What class do you like the best?"

"So far," said Ffamran, "I really enjoy history. I know it's been only two days, though. But I have done pretty well in the first lesson this morning. We talked about the early history of Ivalice - specifically, the Age of Gods. I always found that time period interesting."

"I always thought so as well," said Elise. "What did you go over?" By this, she meant what aspects of the lesson did they discuss.

"We went over the history many thousands of years ago," said Ffamran. "The Undying had once lived on earth with us. But then they hid themselves behind their city of Giruvegan. My teacher, Mr. Yaghur, said that it was due to a rebellion of twelve scions of the gods."

This was of particular interest to Romola, who had heard many legends during her lifetime.

"That is the story of the Espers," said Romola. "It has been passed down for a great many generations. I remember that my mother had told me the story when I was a young girl. There are twelve of these Espers, and their leader is Ultima, the High Seraph."

"I heard something about a thirteenth Esper in the lesson," said Ffamran.

"The Keeper of Precepts?" said Romola. "Many people usually leave him out because he was not part of the rebellion against the gods."

"So I have heard," said Dr. Cid. "Want to hear about my plans?"

"Sure, Father," said Cidulus and Argath.

Dr. Cid talked about his plans to explore the Feywood in search of magicite. He went on for about an hour - until it got late and Cidulus, Argath, and Romola had to leave.

Afterwards, Elise and Dr. Cid talked while Ffamran went to bed.

"That was nice," said Elise, "and informative."

"I do need to give people a heads-up on my expedition," said Dr. Cid.

"True," said Elise. "I cannot wait until our daughters come and visit."

* * *

><p>The next day was a Friday. It was pretty boring day, with much to do about school and work.<p>

Ffamran continued with his lessons at school, while Dr. Cid continued with his research. Overall, not much could be said about Friday. Neither could be said of Saturday either, since it rained quite a bit that day and kept everyone inside.

Sunday was different, though. This was the day that Otilia and Irmelin would come over to visit. The sky had also cleared up.

That afternoon, Ffamran was in his room yet again, sitting at his desk. Then, he heard the doorbell ring.

Upon hearing the doorbell, Ffamran rushed downstairs. He saw Elise at the doorway, talking to Otilia and Irmelin, who were outside.

"Come in," said Elise.

Otilia and Irmelin came in. The sisters were of average height and had brown hair. Otilia's hair was in a bun, while Irmelin's was in a ponytail. Otilia wore a blue dress, while Irmelin's dress was pink.

Otilia had brought over her husband, Numer Tiffos. Numer, a tall man with longish brown hair, was holding his and Otilia's son, Gabald. Gabald was five months old and had only a little hair on his head. Irmelin had brought her husband, Lord Gharith, as well. Lord Gharith was a man of average height, with short light brown hair.

Ffamran greeted everyone. They talked for a little while. However, instead of spending all the time in the living room, everyone went to the backyard to talk.

We now focus on the backyard. The women are sitting on a bench together. Otilia is holding Gabald. Dr. Cid is sitting by himself near the back entrance, while Ffamran, Numer, and Lord Gharith are sitting at a table located near the bench.

"I was glad to make it," said Otilia to her mother. "Everything's been hectic with the baby."

"He really hasn't seen Father's house much," said Irmelin.

"Gabald was only here once before," said Otilia. "That was when he was seven weeks old." She turned to Elise. "Yet you, Father, and the rest of the family have seen the baby at our house five times."

"I know it's a lot of visiting," said Elise, "but it's always enjoyable."

"Right," said Ffamran. He turned to Lord Gharith. "Are you and Irmelin thinking of having any children yet?"

"Heavens, no," said Lord Gharith. "We're still young, Ffamran. We have been married only one year. But maybe in a few years..."

"How do you enjoy being an uncle, Ffamran?" Numer asked Ffamran.

"It's okay," said Ffamran. "I'm mostly glad that I'm no longer the baby of the family. I always hated being the youngest. Plus, I always like to see Otilia happy."

"I understand how you feel," said Lord Gharith. "I have an older brother, and it was always hard. We did not get along as children. Even now, we don't get along that well. At least you seem to have gotten along with your siblings exceptionally well."

Ffamran, Numer, and Lord Gharith continued to talk. A few minutes later, Otilia got up from her seat, still holding her baby. She walked over to Ffamran.

"Ffamran," said Otilia, "would you like to hold Gabald for a moment? I want to see you hold him since you haven't held him yet."

"I would," said Ffamran. Otilia carefully handed Gabald to Ffamran. Ffamran held his nephew tightly, but also gently. Gabald raised his hands up to Ffamran in a playful way and began to wave his fingers at him. Ffamran gently moved his index finger towards Gabald's nose and gently stroked it. Gabald giggled and cooed.

"How does it make you feel?" asked Otilia.

"Good," said Ffamran. "I think he really likes me. He seems to enjoy having me as an uncle."

Elise and Irmelin looked at Ffamran and Gabald. "I think so," said Irmelin.

"He _is_ very cute," said Ffamran. "I would love to have children of my own one day." Ffamran turned to Numer. "Do you want to hold him?"

"In a little while," said Numer.

"I would rather relish this moment," said Lord Gharith.

In a little while, Ffamran gave Gabald back to Otilia. Everyone took turns holding Gabald, but Ffamran enjoyed it the most. He hoped that these good times would last forever.

But unfortunately, that would not be the case...


	9. Preparations

_**NOTE: **I will try to spice things up more in this chapter. I will also be using more time skips (ones that cover days) so that the story doesn't drag on for too long. Although it will be long when it is finished._

_I haven't been getting enough reviews lately, so I would like some more._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 9: PREPARATIONS<strong>

A few days passed since Otilia and Irmelin visited Ffamran and his parents. By now, it had been a week since Ffamran had started school, and it was only six days left until Dr. Cid and his fellow scientists would start their expedition in the dreaded Feywood.

We return to the Draklor Laboratory. The focus is on Dr. Cid, who is working in one of the experimentation rooms. He is working on drawing energy from a piece of magicite. While he is doing this, he is talking to Agrippina and Otho.

"I finished a few touch-ups on this magicite," said Dr. Cid. "I have gotten the Mist out of many stones." He pointed to a pile of useless rocks. These were rocks of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Yet they had no use whatsoever, for when Mist is drained out of the magicite, it cannot be renewed.

"Furthermore," Dr. Cid continued, "the stones have given us plenty of Mist - enough for us to wield powerful magick."

"What?" asked Otho, scratching his head in confusion.

"We are able to brace ourselves with magick," said Dr. Cid. "This is for when we go to the Feywood."

"I understand now," said Otho.

"And what about the _Calypso_?" asked Agrippina. "When I went to look at it, I found the windshield to be quite dirty."

"The _Calypso_ is dirty?" said Dr. Cid. "We cannot soar the skies with a dirty windshield. I suppose we need some removal for it."

"I will tell the _Calypso_'s mechanic to clean it," said Agrippina. She then suddenly shot a glance at Otho. "As for you...why don't you go check on the airship as well? There is something I need you to do for me..."

"What do I have to do, Agrippina?" asked Otho.

"You need to make sure that the fuel tank is secured," said Agrippina, "as well as fix the security system. I saw that someone had tampered with it severely. The gears are out of whack. Luckily, I found that person and they were fired. HA!"

Otho was not pleased with this.

"Agrippina," said Otho, "I have not even worked on the security before."

"Just do this for me, please!" said Agrippina. She handed some instructions to Otho. "There are instructions in here for how to fix the more minor glitches. For the major ones..." Here she calmed down a bit. "I'm not sure..."

"I can fix them myself," said Dr. Cid. "But first, I have to finish drawing Mist from the magicite."

"You should go...NOW!" Agrippina told Otho. Otho left the room and walked through the hallways to the elevator. He could not take listening to Agrippina. After all, he was older than her, and had worked at the Draklor Laboratory for a longer time.

"I have seniority to Agrippina," Otho said to himself, "yet I always find myself doing _her_ bidding. What does that bitch have that I lack?"

* * *

><p>While this was all happening at the Draklor Laboratory, Ffamran had gotten out of school. He had decided to once again hang out at the Ramando Tavern with Zeffir. But instead of eating dinner like last time, the two would study for their upcoming tests. Ffamran had the math test, while Zeffir had a test in his science class with the dreaded Mr. Vassor.<p>

Ffamran and Zeffir were sitting at a table by the window. They had their notebooks open and were sharing each other's notes.

"You should be lucky that you don't have Mr. Vassor," said Zeffir. "Look how many pages of notes I had to take!"

"I see," said Ffamran. "How is it going?"

"I'm almost done with reading my notes," said Zeffir. "How about you?"

"I did a few problems from the text," said Ffamran. "I hope I got them right. I think I will need Mother's help when I come back. She is a good mathematician."

Zeffir looked at the answers to the math problems and was pleasantly surprised. "You seemed to have done well," he said.

While this was going on, Rabia walked by. She was carrying a tray with two alcoholic drinks on it. These were obviously not for Ffamran and Zeffir, who were not even thirsty. Zeffir looked at Rabia and waved to her. She then looked at him.

"How's everything, Rabia?" said Zeffir.

"Excellent, kupo," said Rabia. "I am glad that it's not that busy. What are you guys up to?"

"We are studying for tests tomorrow," said Ffamran.

"If you want, you can sit with us," said Zeffir. He knew that Rabia was busy, but he wanted to ease stress on her.

"I wish I could, kupo," said Rabia, "but I cannot do so. I still have to wait on customers. And besides, I have to speak with my newest waiter, Johan. I'm a very busy lady, kupo. But where exactly is Johan?"

"I'm right here!" called out a voice.

Rabia turned around. She saw a young ardent man approaching her. He was a relatively short young man, with red hair and green eyes. He was wearing green pants and a blue shirt. This was Johan - one of the students in Ffamran's literature class.

Johan walked up to Rabia.

"Hello, Rabia," said Johan.

"Where were you, kupo?" asked Rabia.

"I was talking outside with your friend Fulvia," said Johan. "Nice lady." Fulvia was one of Rabia's friends, and like Rabia, she was a moogle. Fulvia was a saleswoman as well.

"What did she say, kupo?" asked Rabia.

"She said that your order is coming on Friday," said Johan. "The chandelier, remember?"

"Yes," said Rabia.

Johan looked at Ffamran and Zeffir and recognized both of them. "Hey, guys!" said Johan.

"Hello, Johan," said Ffamran.

"Haven't seen you in a while," said Zeffir. "Everything going well?"

"Correct," said Johan. "I see that you two are studying."

"We are," said Zeffir. "Care to join us?"

"I'm doing my studies at home," said Johan. "Right now, I have to work. It's always good to see you, though. By the way, wasn't Armal den Phali just the worst today?" Earlier that day, Armal had talked a lot in class, and didn't take it well when the teacher told him to stop.

"Yeah," said Ffamran. "He kept interrupting us."

"I can't really talk much longer," said Johan. "I have a table waiting on me. See you tomorrow!"

"Okay," said Zeffir. "See you then!" Johan walked away.

Rabia, who had delivered the drinks in the meantime, had come back. She talked to Ffamran and Zeffir.

"Nice kid, kupo," she said. "Don't you agree?"

"I do," said Zeffir. "Very friendly."

"I hope that Father is doing well," said Ffamran. "He had a lot of work to do today, and it does stress him out occasionally."

"Don't worry, kupo," said Rabia. "I want the expedition to go well. But don't get your hopes up - there could be tragedy."

Ffamran shuddered. "I don't even want to think about that," he said.

"Try not to worry too much, kupo," said Rabia.

"I won't," said Ffamran.

"I better get back to work," said Rabia. "It was nice to see you again, kupo!" She walked away and went back to her job.

Ffamran just gazed at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"You okay, Ffamran?" asked Zeffir.

"I am fine," said Ffamran. "I just wonder what could possibly go wrong on that expedition."


	10. The Library Book

_**NOTE: **This chapter contains history of Ivalice, much of which is my own creation. However, some of it is taken from the game. The actual summaries in the book Ffamran took out would be longer than depicted here._

_I apologize for this chapter being short. Next one will be longer._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 10: THE LIBRARY BOOK<strong>

The next day was the math test that Ffamran had to take. He took the test quietly and was one of the first to finish. Once the test was done, Ffamran asked the teacher if he could go to the academy's library and read. The teacher said yes to this.

Ffamran walked through the hallways. They were relatively quiet, with few people. This was due to the fact that classes were going on. Ffamran thought to himself that he could hear his own footsteps.

The library was located in the academy's east wing. Ffamran found the library and entered it. He saw that it was a relatively large library for a school. This library - and the corresponding one at the girls' academy - were also open to the public, who were allowed to take out books as well as students. The academy's library was done in a fancy style with pillars and arches. Yet this was but a mere reminder of the greatness of the Archadian Imperial Library - by far the largest library in the Archadian Empire and among the largest in all of Ivalice. This library was located in the southeast of Archades.

Ffamran greeted the librarian and told her that he was doing some reading. The librarian told Ffamran that he had only seventeen minutes before the next class, but was free to take out some books. Books at this library could be taken out for two weeks before they had to be returned, but could also be renewed.

Ffamran then went to the history section of the library and looked at the books. There were dozens of books to choose from. Ffamran skimmed through the books, hoping to find a good read. He decided to take out one of them.

The book that Ffamran picked was called _The Primordial Age_. The book was dark green and in excellent condition. It was a book detailing the early days of Ivalice and civilization. Ffamran had desired to read more on the history of Ivalice thousands of years ago.

Once he had picked the book, Ffamran took the book to the check-out counter. He was told that the book was to be returned in two weeks. When this was all done, Ffamran sat down at one of the tables and began to read the book. He turned to a random page near the front cover.

"This chapter is about the Time of the Glaciers," said Ffamran. "Let's see what it says."

_Archaeological evidence has shown that from a time period between forty thousand and fifteen thousand years ago, there was a great ice age. Many were the beasts that roamed the lands, and many were the fearsome ones. During this time, there were volatile changes in animal species, with populations rising and falling. About fifteen thousand years ago, many glaciers melted, and the shape of the land had changed. Many primeval creatures became extinct, and surviving creatures were forced to adapt. It was in this time that mankind built its first civilizations, and many of them flourished._

Ffamran read another excerpt as well.

_The land had been littered by the structures of the Undying, and many had fallen into ruin. Mankind has tried to copy these structures, but they could not reproduce exact likenesses. This led many cultures to produce their own styles of architecture, separate from those of the Undying. Yet the structures of the Undying serve as a reminder for how things once were._

After reading this second excerpt, Ffamran looked at the clock.

"I better get going to my next class," he said. "I'm kind of late as it is!"

Ffamran put the book in his satchel. Then, he hurried out of the library.


	11. Tidbits of History

_**NOTE: **I have decided to extend the history further in this chapter, which will feature five of them._

_I am thinking of making the book _The Primordial Age _relevant later on in the story_.

_There is also a reference to_ The High Seraph and the Whisperer_, another Final Fantasy XII fanfic of mine. Also included is a reference to Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 11: TIDBITS OF HISTORY<strong>

There was not much else of note about Ffamran's day at school. Ffamran wanted to read his book, but he knew that he could not read it while class was going on. He did not have much of a chance to read the book at lunch, for he was busy talking with Zeffir about it.

When Ffamran got out of the academy that afternoon, he went straight home. Ffamran walked in the door and saw Elise sitting down in her usual place.

"I have something of note to tell you," said Ffamran.

"What is it?" asked Elise.

"I picked out a book from the library," said Ffamran, "and I can't wait to finish it. I will show it to you."

"I would love to see the book you picked out," said Elise.

Ffamran took his library book out of his satchel and showed it to Elise.

"_The Primordial Age_," read Elise. She turned to her son. "I have heard of this book. It has been said to be quite the authority on the topic." Ffamran handed her the book, and told her that she could read it. Elise opened the book.

"It's very good," said Ffamran. "Trust me."

Elise read the first chapter of the book. She found it quite fascinating. Knowing that Ffamran had not finished most of the book, Elise gave the book back to her son. She smiled and thanked Ffamran for letting her read _The Primordial Age_. Next, Elise got up from her seat.

"I will be in the kitchen if you need me," said Elise.

"Sure thing, Mother," said Ffamran.

Elise walked into the kitchen. In the meantime, Ffamran went upstairs.

When Ffamran arrived in his room, he lay down on his bed and began to read more excerpts. He turned to one of them.

_The Espers, despite being the mightiest of the immortals created by the Undying, had lived on earth with humans, dwelling in different places, often amongst other immortals. The most famous of the Espers' dwellings was the Tower of the Seraph, located in what is now the country of Zambuk, located in Zundai south of the equator. The tower once was the dwelling of Ultima, the High Seraph. From here, she could guide souls to heaven and aid in their reincarnation. However, upon her rebellion and later sealing, the Tower of the Seraph was taken away from her. The tower still stands tall to this day, though now it serves as a mere reminder of the past. To the southeast of the tower's base was a great city known as Kubari. It housed many immortal beings. Yet Kubari has decayed into ruin, and it is empty._

Ffamran had heard this tale. He read on:

_The Tower of the Seraph is built much like the tower said to stand on a distant shore, though the Tower of the Seraph shorter and more accessible. It rises to a hundred floors, with the top floor housing an incredible view of the savanna around it. Legend has it that Ultima housed a communication device at the top, which she could use to communicate with the other immortals. though nothing remains to suggest its existence._

Ffamran was intrigued. He then turned to another page and read it.

_There once was a continent known as Lemures. It was located deep in the Naldoan Sea, and was inhabited by a winged race. Around the time of the Espers' rebellion, the leader of this race is said to have defied the Occuria as well. He did so by raising Lemures to the sky and sealing his people away, never to be seen by mortals again. They now only exist in legend. Such was the aegyl, among the greatest and also the shortest-lived of the races of Ivalice._

Ffamran had never heard of such beings. They were not spoken of, and some were unaware of their existence. There was also another excerpt.

_Many were the lesser immortals that roamed Ivalice, their exact numbers unknown. Oftentimes, they were called angels by mortals, and many were the legends of them reproducing with mortals to form mysterious races. Whether this is true or not no one can say. Though most have stayed loyal to the Undying, there were others have proven their disloyalty. Many of the unfaithful lesser immortals have had various curses placed on them, such as the denial of entrance into Giruvegan. Some are said to still walk this earth, invisible to all save under special circumstances._

Eventually, Ffamran read one more excerpt. It was located towards the end of the book. This one he found interesting:

_Along the great continent of Valendia - to the northeast of Archades - there is a great fortress. Built long ago by an ancient civilization, this fortress would become the site of many an adventure. But what is most of note is said to be an amazing treasure, said to be deep within the dungeons. Yet no one knows what this treasure is, for the dungeons are full of all sorts of fiends._

"Amazing!" said Ffamran. "If I found the treasure...I don't even know what would happen. It must be a wondrous treasure indeed!"

Ffamran put away the book after a while. He would have liked to find this treasure, but he was busy with a normal life. Maybe someday he could search for it, and hopefully find out the truth...


	12. The Tsenoble Bazaar

_**A/N: **From now on, I will type "A/N" (author's note) instead of "NOTE" I might later correct it in the other chapters._

_I had suddenly remembered that I had forgotten all about Jules, the swindler in the actual game. So he is included in this chapter. This explains how Ffamran and Jules met in the first place._

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 12: THE TSENOBLE BAZAAR<strong>

That Sunday, Ffamran and Zeffir decided to hang out. Saturday had been kind of busy, with Ffamran and his parents visiting both Otilia and Irmelin, and also with Ffamran and Zeffir doing homework. But Sunday was a day where they could hang out.

Instead of going to Ramando's Tavern right away, where they usually hung out, Ffamran and Zeffir went to shop at the covered bazaar. This bazaar was located in the district of Tsenoble. It was open to the public - quite unlike some areas of this rather private district. It was known as the Tsenoble Bazaar, and it had been built in the early days of House Solidor - about 200 years before.

When Ffamran and Zeffir walked inside the bazaar, they saw all sorts of stores. People selling various goods at their vendors were present, as well as scores of customers. The interior walls were dark brown, and there were lights on the ceiling.

"Where do you want to go first?" Zeffir asked Ffamran.

"Doesn't matter," said Ffamran. "We should just walk around and see if we can find something that we like. But let's stay close together - we do not want to get lost in this huge place!"

"Fine by me," said Zeffir.

The two walked around, looking at the shops and vendors. Eventually, Ffamran found one that looked familiar to him. This store sold all sorts of jewelry. They also gave piercings to women and men who requested them. In many realms of Ivalice, both sexes pierced their ears, and many people pierced other parts of the body as well. Ffamran had pierced his own ears two years before.

"I know this place!" said Ffamran.

"Do you want to go inside?" asked Zeffir.

"That's what I am here for," said Ffamran.

Ffamran looked inside the store. He saw a young man, about a year younger than him. He had longish brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a fine blue jacket over a pink shirt, as well as a pair of blue pants. This was Ffamran's second cousin, Silvius. He was the son of Dr. Cid's cousin, Otsir, and also a Bunansa. Silvius helped his father on weekends, for Otsir owned the store.

Upon seeing Silvius, Ffamran pointed him out. "That young man is my second cousin," he said.

"I don't remember him that well," said Zeffir, "but we should greet him."

"Let's go inside," said Ffamran.

Ffamran and Zeffir went inside the store. They approached Silvius, who had just finished taking inventory.

"How are you doing, Silvius?" Ffamran asked him.

Silvius was startled at first, but then he turned around and faced Ffamran.

"Oh," said Silvius, "it's you, Ffamran. I'm doing well. Haven't seen you in a while."

"There's someone I'd like to introduce to you," said Ffamran. He pointed to Zeffir. "This is my friend, Zeffir."

"Hello," said Zeffir. He reached out his arm and shook Silvius' hand.

"Nice to meet you," said Silvius. "My father's in the back talking with one of his employees. Feel free to take a look around."

"Thanks," said Zeffir. "I had gotten my ears pierced a while back, and I came here to get another set of earrings."

"I will direct you to them," said Silvius. He showed Zeffir to where the earrings hung. Zeffir browsed them and saw a pair that he liked. The ones he liked were small green hoops.

"Don't worry," said Zeffir. "I have lots of gil!"

Zeffir took the rings to the cashier and paid for them. After the purchase, Zeffir and Silvius returned to Ffamran. The three had a short conversation, and then Silvius wondered if Ffamran wanted to buy something.

"Do you need anything, Ffamran?" asked Silvius.

"Not today," said Ffamran. "I just wanted to take a look around."

"That's fine," said Silvius.

"I think we better get going," Ffamran said to Zeffir. "I don't have much else to buy."

"Okay," said Zeffir, "Let's get going."

"See you another day, then!" said Silvius as Ffamran and Zeffir walked out. "Nice to have met you, Zeffir!"

"Thanks!" said Zeffir.

Ffamran and Zeffir walked through the halls of the bazaar on ce more. They went to several different vendors. Ffamran bought a new watch at one vendor, while Zeffir bought a new scarf at another vendor. Then, Ffamran and Zeffir decided to have lunch. They ate lunch in the bazaar's food court.

Afterwards, Ffamran and Zeffir continued to explore the bazaar. But then something irritating happened...

Ffamran was approached by a man. This man, an ardent, was about twenty-seven years old, and was dressed mostly in green. His hair was similar to Silvius' hair, though it was slightly darker.

"Greetings," said the man. He talked in a shady voice. "I see two sons of gentry. Care to come to my vendor nearby?"

"And who are you supposed to be?" asked Zeffir.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the man. "I am Jules den Miron. To you I may be just another ardent, but let me tell you this: I know what goes on all around Archades. Being the streetear that I am, I am well-informed all the time."

"I'm Zeffir," said Zeffir, "and this is Ffamran."

"Okay, Jules," said Ffamran. "What do you have for us to offer?"

"I have some of the best advice in all of Ivalice," said Jules. "Come look at my vendor now, shall you?"

"I don't know," said Zeffir. "I really think that you are trying to get money from us."

Jules was stunned. "Me? Take money from you?" he said. "I think that you have the wrong idea. I am just trying to make money to buy medicine for my dear mother." Jules went on about his "dear" mother for a few minutes, and then Ffamran interrupted him.

"Fine!" snapped Ffamran. "We will look at your damn vendor!"

"Thank you!" said Jules. "Now, let's go!"

Jules led Ffamran and Zeffir to his vendor, which was largely empty except for a few items and a treasure chest underneath. He then sat down in a chair.

"And what exactly do you sell here, Jules?" asked Ffamran. "I don't see much at this vendor."

"I don't sell much," said Jules, "but I _do_ sell this: I give people advice and other knowledge for a reasonable price." While Jules said the words "reasonable", he winked his left eye. Ffamran and Zeffir did not notice it, but it would make one who did look suspicious of Jules.

"Jules," said Zeffir, "how much does this cost? Is it expensive?"

"No," said Jules. "It's only about 2,000 gil per person. And I can tell that you guys are quite rich, so it will not even affect you!"

"Fine," said Ffamran. He turned to Zeffir. "I see no harm in this guy."

Ffamran and Zeffir each gave 2,000 gil to Jules. Then, Zeffir was told to take a seat. Zeffir sat down with Jules.

"Okay," said Jules, "what would you like to know? I'm all ears."

"I was thinking about getting some advice," said Zeffir. "There is someone in one of my classes at the academy named Jurgem, and he is really bothering me. He keeps harassing me. And he's always telling me that I'm too prissy and that I'll never have a girlfriend. He even does it when he's not in class. What should I do about him, Jules?"

Jules' face illuminated.

"Well," said Jules, "normally, people say to ignore those who are annoying. But I think that he is persistent, so you should tell him to shut up! Trust me, he'll toally understand."

Zeffir was uneasy about this, but he didn't want to question Jules. "Okay..." he said. "I'll take your word for it. But if it doesn't work, you' should know what will happen!"

"Trust me," said Jules. "I am the best at giving advice." Zeffir got up from his seat, and Ffamran sat down in it a minute later.

"Okay," said Ffamran, "do your worst."

"What do you want?" asked Jules.

"I am a little nervous about my father," said Ffamran. "He is going to leave in a few days, and I am nervous that he will not come back safe. I am really concerned..." Ffamran listed a whole bunch of worries.

"Don't worry so much!" said Jules. "Just pray to the gods that he will be safe. That helped me when my father was in the Feywood! I prayed to the gods, and he came back alive!"

"Thanks," said Ffamran.

After this, Ffamran and Zeffir went back to shopping. But little did they know was that Jules was lying.

"Hehehe," said Jules, putting the gil he obtained in a sack, "those bastards had no idea what was coming! All of what I said was just a trick. Every sucker around Archades shall realize the superior intellect of JUles den Miron!" Jules laughed to himself.

This would not be the last scam that Jules would pull...


End file.
